IWAKUNI, Japan – The world-ranked No. 1 U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT) opened the 2023 Japan All-Star Series in thrilling fashion, sealing a 12-11 extra inning victory to kick off the three-game series in the win column. A true team effort from both sides of the field, the U.S. offense totaled 17 hits in the win while the pitching staff showed its depth with NiJaree Canady, Ruby Meylan and Valerie Cagle each contributing in the circle.
One of six athletes getting their debut in the Red, White and Blue in today’s opening game was Canady who got the start on the rubber for Team USA while temporarily handing duties over to Meylan in the bottom of the fifth and Cagle in the bottom of the sixth before taking back the reigns for the final seven outs of the game. Together, the three U.S. pitchers retired 10 batters via a strikeout with Canady leading the pack behind seven Ks and five scoreless innings.
The U.S. offense came to play, combining for an impressive 17 hits in the win – including four long balls off the bats of Megan Grant (2), Cagle (1) and Jayda Kearney (1). A force throughout the entire lineup, nine U.S. batters recorded at least one hit in the win while five recorded a multi-hit game. Grant led the Eagles at the plate with a 4-for-6 performance, including two singles and two home runs, followed by Cagle (3-for-6) and Kearney (2-for-5).
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Despite a quiet first at-bat, the U.S. offense came alive in the top of the second thanks to back-to-back singles from Team USA rookies Alex Honnold and Kearney to score the first U.S. run of the game followed by another run in the top of the third courtesy of a long ball from Grant. Maintaining the pressure, Kearney kept things rolling in the top of the fourth with a solo shot over the left field fence followed by a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases and set the stage for RBI singles from Cagle and Grant capped with a bases loaded walk to score three and put the Eagles on top, 6-0.
After being silenced through the first three innings of the game, the Japanese offense responded in the bottom of the fourth with a three-run home run to cut the U.S. lead, 6-3, before adding four more in the bottom of the fifth to pull ahead, 7-6. That didn’t hold long, though, as Grant sent her second ball out of the park to tie the game, 7-7, followed by a fielding miscue to allow another run to score for an 8-7 U.S….
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